If you're in the mood for crime thrillers with a twist, you can't go wrong with Lee Child's "Jack Reacher" novels. Reacher is a drifter, a former Army Military Police officer who was discharged for some unknown reason and has since been travelling around the country, getting involved with other people's problems.In The Affair, the 16th Reacher novel, we finally discover why he was discharged from the Army. This novel flashes back to 1997, as Child has Reacher constantly reminding us. He comments often about how security arrangements and other things aren't as stringent as they became after 9/11. After a lackluster Worth Dying For and an awesome 61 Hours, Child is back on form. I've read the first three novels and then these last three, and The Affair is the best of the bunch.
My review is now up on Curled Up With a Good Book.
From the review:
"Jack Reacher is a drifter and a problem-solver, moving from place to place and helping those who need help, either with his quick intelligence or his right hook. The Affair tells of what started Reacher on his long road, way back in 1997. He's an Army Military Police officer, sent down to Carter Crossing, Mississippi, where a woman has been murdered, potentially by one of the soldiers stationed at the Army base there. Reacher is there to mingle with the townspeople as another officer investigates on the base itself. The murder may have drastic political implications where the cover-up is sometimes worse than the crime. Reacher gets involved with the beautiful local sheriff, and the affair may be affecting Reacher's thinking—and might end up getting him killed."This is a book that I couldn't put down, though I was able to force myself to when it was time for bed. It was a close call, though.
The short chapters usually bother me, but in this case they kept the rollicking pace of the book going, adding to that "just a few more pages" feeling.
This book is simply awesome, and a must-read for any crime thriller fan.
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I own a bunch of these books, and I think they are fun! They are easy to read and the stories, while referencing some of the others, stand alone. This is a nice change of pace compared to most modern series where you have to have read every book by the author to know what's going on!
ReplyDeleteChild is definitely a great writer, and the series itself is really enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteI think most of the crime thriller series coming out now are pretty much like this, in that you can read them in any order. Sure, there are some character things that change from book to book, but Child does that a little bit too.
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